- At the Paris conference for the resilience and reconstruction of Ukraine, EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska confirmed further expansion of the EIB’s financial and advisory support for Ukraine’s recovery and EU accession.
- Since the start of the war, working hand in hand with the European Commission and the government of Ukraine, the EIB Group has disbursed over €1.7 billion to Ukraine to support the country’s most urgent needs and ensure Ukrainians have access to water, heating and electricity in the months ahead.
- The EIB aims to expand its ongoing recovery programmes with several new investments in schools, hospitals, digital projects, water infrastructure, transport and hydropower initiatives.
- The EIB Group’s philanthropic arm — the EIB Institute — is donating another €1 million to support Ukrainian family-style orphanages and purchase ambulances, fire trucks and generators for Ukraine.
European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska attended the international conference in Paris aiming to support Ukraine's resilience and reconstruction, organised jointly by France and Ukraine. This conference is another important step in the series of global events to coordinate the unwavering support for Ukraine from the international community in the face of unprovoked war and ruthless Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure, in particular energy and water facilities.
Describing the role of the EIB in supporting Ukraine's resilience and reconstruction, EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said: “Since the first days following Russia’s invasion we have worked closely with our Ukrainian partners, as well as with the European Commission and others, to mobilise immediate financing for Ukraine’s most urgent needs, and then to prioritise the implementation of existing projects that can best enhance or rebuild the country’s critical infrastructure. The renewal of the railway network, roads and bridges will help Ukraine keep people, goods and grain moving. Repairs of damaged energy sector infrastructure are equally important, as the whole country is struggling with winter conditions and infrastructure attacks. The EIB is also providing ongoing support to Ukrainian transmission system operator Ukrenergo to enable its stable operation. Rehabilitation and emergency repairs to the transmission network will ensure energy supplies are maintained for industry and households. I’m proud to announce that EIB Group acting through EIB Institute is stepping up humanitarian support for the cold, hard winter ahead. With €1 million in additional humanitarian funding via EIBI, we are happy to contribute to the creation of normal living conditions for orphans and civilians affected by this brutal war.“The Russian invasion only strengthened our determination to support and stand with Ukraine. Moving ahead, our priority is to think longer term and help Ukraine rebuild. The Ukrainian government has produced a robust national recovery plan, which among other things facilitates cooperation. The key need of course is for additional financial resources. Together with the European Commission, Ukraine and other European and global partners, we are already preparing the way to be ready to further step up financial and advisory support for Ukraine beyond its immediate needs, and on its path to EU accession.”
Immediate EIB financial assistance to meet the country’s most urgent needs
At the conference in Paris, EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska recalled the EIB’s rapid response to the Russian invasion and Ukraine’s immediate needs. As of December 2022, total EIB funds paid to Ukraine — also thanks to crucial European Commission support — amount to over €1.7 billion.
When the war broke out, the EU bank reacted immediately — in March, the EIB disbursed €668 million for Ukraine’s most immediate needs. With the support of the European Commission, in October the EIB completed the disbursement of a further €1.05 billion under the second response package to support priority recovery investments.
About €650 million of this amount will be directed to the Ukrainian road agency (Ukravtodor) and the Ukrainian railway (Ukrzaliznytsia) companies for the urgent repair and rebuilding of the road and rail transport infrastructure sector, most urgently for the construction of missing transport links, in particular modular bridges but also to build shelters for energy infrastructure and substations. €50 million is being allocated to Ukraine’s transmission system operator Ukrenergo to strengthen its financial resilience and help it to maintain energy supplies for industry and households. €350 million has been allocated to the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development to cover heating needs over the winter and restore municipal facilities to working order, and performs the thermal modernisation of residential and public buildings, including damaged hospitals, kindergartens, schools, vocational schools and higher education facilities.
Supporting emergency repairs to the electricity network
The EIB will continue to work closely with Ukrenergo to urgently provide an additional €86 million under an existing contract, supporting emergency repairs to the electricity network. This financing will help Ukrenergo to maintain its operations, and to ensure the continuation of vital services for the people and businesses of Ukraine. It will provide an emergency facility to help reconnect disconnected customers, prevent electricity supply disruptions and maintain a reliable supply of vital energy services for the Ukrainian population this winter.
Similar discussions are taking place with the operator of Ukraine’s major hydroelectric power plants along the Dnipro and Dniester rivers (Ukrhydroenergo). The plan is to repurpose and disburse at least €50 million in early 2023, helping Ukrhydroenergo to purchase the equipment it needs.
Managing essential municipal infrastructure projects
Amid Russian aggression, the EIB is continuing to work with Ukraine’s ministries and municipalities on the repair of schools, hospitals, water infrastructure, district heating, housing for internally displaced people, etc. Cities across Ukraine submitted more than 1 000 proposals for reconstruction projects under the EIB Ukraine Recovery Programme’s first call for proposals (more calls are set to be launched in the coming months). A €300 million call for proposals to cities will be launched under the Ukraine Public Buildings Energy Efficiency project by the end of this year. Ukrainian cities will be invited to submit projects involving thermal modernisation, repairing buildings damaged by the war and adapting them to suit the needs of internally displaced people. Both programmes are being implemented by the EIB together with the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine and UNDP.
The EIB aims to expand its existing recovery programmes to support essential municipal infrastructure projects. These include the provision of short- and medium-term solutions to water shortages, where we are working with the German Agency for International Cooperation.
The EIB is also working with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on developing several digital initiatives, including the creation of an integrated civil emergency system based on the 112 emergency number.
Restoring and modernising transport infrastructure in Ukrainian cities
The reconstruction of sustainable transport in Ukraine’s cities is the priority not only of long-term post-war recovery plans, but also of the EIB’s ongoing support programmes and initiatives. Although Ukraine’s cities are still vulnerable to potential damage resulting from Russia’s aggression, there is a clear need for rebuilding and modernising urban transport mobility to enable people to move around now. The EIB continues to support cities in financing public transport. For this reason, Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa — all facing a huge influx of internally displaced people — will receive a total of €13.7 million in EIB funds in the coming months to pay for trams produced and delivered by Ukrainian manufacturers.
To promote a resilient, sustainable post-war recovery and develop Ukraine’s capital, the EIB and Kyiv municipality agreed to start preparing a number of projects of vital importance for the city’s sustainable urban development, such as the modernisation of the Kyiv Metro’s rolling stock at an estimated cost of over €500 million, the extension of the Kyiv Metro at an estimated cost of over €500 million, and the reconstruction of social housing affected by Russian bombings.
Finally, Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv received a €400 000 technical assistance grant from the EIB-managed Eastern Partnership Technical Assistance Trust Fund (EPTATF) to conduct the necessary preparations to purchase a new tram fleet and rebuild the war-ravaged tram infrastructure.
Providing humanitarian aid packages to help Ukrainian war victims
To support those affected by the war in Ukraine, the EIB Group’s philanthropic arm — the EIB Institute — immediately launched an unprecedented humanitarian aid package of €2.5 million. This donation is being deployed through the Institute’s trusted partner non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In September, this was followed by another donation of €95 000 for two projects (for digital learning centre TUMO and Ukrainian NGO All for Victory Charity Foundation) to provide education to teenage Ukrainian refugees and meals for people in Ukraine that have little or no access to food.
Today the EIB approved two more donations to Ukraine — €800 000 to support family-style orphanages coordinated by the Olena Zelenska Foundation, and a €200 000 donation to LUkraine asbl, a non-profit organisation representing the Ukrainian community in Luxembourg, to purchase ambulances, fire trucks, generators and other items relating to the humanitarian needs of people in Ukraine.
Supporting Ukraine's neighbouring EU countries hosting Ukrainian refugees
The outbreak of the war and Russian aggression in Ukraine caused an unprecedented wave of refugees. Several million people left the country to seek shelter in the European Union. In May, the EIB therefore approved a €4 billion programme to help national authorities, cities, regions and local communities in all EU Member States address urgent investment needs and meet the challenges of welcoming and integrating war refugees from Ukraine.
The financial support is complemented by the EMBRACE advisory platform, helping with free technical assistance to assess local needs rapidly, and plan, prioritise and prepare the related investments.
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